Australian Aged Care Quality Agency – War Veterans Home re-accreditated until August 2021

RSL Care SA’s War Veterans Home is very pleased that we have been successful in our application for re-accreditation. We now have accreditation from August 2018 through to August 2021.

Accredited residential aged care homes receive Australian Government subsidies to provide quality care and services to care recipients in accordance with the Accreditation Standards.

To remain accredited and continue to receive the subsidy, each home must demonstrate that it meets the Standards.

There are four Standards covering management systems, health and personal care, care recipient lifestyle, and the physical environment and there are 44 expected outcomes such as human resource management, clinical care, medication management, privacy and dignity, leisure interests, cultural and spiritual life, choice and decision-making and the living environment.

Each home applies for re-accreditation before its accreditation period expires and an assessment team visits the home to conduct an audit. The team assesses the quality of care and services at the home and reports its findings of whether the home meets or does not meet the Standards. The Quality Agency then decides whether the home has met the Standards and whether to re-accredit or not to re-accredit the home.

During a home’s period of accreditation, there may be a review audit where an assessment team visits the home to reassess the quality of care and services and reports its findings of whether the home meets or does not meet the Standards.

The information obtained through the audit of the home indicates the home meets:

44 of 44 expected outcomes

RSL Care SA War Veterans Home staff were pleased to receive additional positive comments and feedback from the assessors at the completion of the visit. The staff was complemented on their conduct and manner in which they go about their business as well as the good work they are doing in caring for our residents. RSL Care SA was praised for our Janus Approach philosophy of care, which is currently being implemented throughout the organisation, of which we will provide further information on at a later date.

2017 Better Practice Award

Today staff and residents were thrilled to welcome Ms Philomena Mitolo, Assistant Director SA/NT of the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency (AACQA), to present RSL Care SA with the ‘2017 Better Practice Award’ trophy and certificate for the ‘Social Connectedness for Mental Wellbeing’ program. Every year there are 37 Better Practice Awards presented nationally and RSL Care SA is proud to be one of only five awarded in South Australia.

Social Connectedness for Mental Wellbeing

Our ‘Social Connectedness for Mental Wellbeing’ program was developed in response to an increasing number of post-World War Two veterans entering aged care that have experienced, and continue to experience, complex mental health diagnosis and/or substance abuse issues along with secondary co-morbidities associated with their service. The significant age difference between existing residents from the silent generation and the incoming baby boomers (currently aged 67-74) results in difficulty assimilating when seeking social support. Lifestyle activities are traditionally tailored toward the silent generation resulting in the incoming baby boomers feeling “left out” of activities relevant to them. This emerging need has been particularly highlighted from within our organisation, due to the prevalence of complex mental health conditions within this cohort.

Mental Health Services

Working closely with mental health services within SA Health, the opportunity to develop a community based day program to support existing residents, residents from other facilities, and potential residents, with their mental health became apparent. At the time of inception, there were limited community engagement options available where residents could increase and strengthen their social support networks in an environment that valued their individual and collective experiences. In response to this identified need, our organisation set about developing a proactive approach in supporting this emerging cohort of veterans with their mental health, through a purposeful social engagement program that sought to reap benefits from the existing sense of identity and belonging that these residents feel towards their service.

The social program is open to residents of our organisation, including veterans living in other aged care facilities, as well as members of the general community who require mental health or social inclusion support. The community mental health support may be accessed through either in-patient or out-patient services within sectors of SA Health’s mental health services. Particularly for outpatients who require admission to residential care in the near future. The social program occurs weekly and includes visiting guests, usually over a lunch that enables the gathering to remain relaxed and open. Over the course of the week there are many informal gatherings and activities that have now arisen as a result of this program. Participants are supported to develop social connectedness with their peers and are encouraged to continue the development of these relationships outside of the social group formalised gatherings. Residents are developing relationships within the program, and are now more engaged and willing to participate in choices that will enhance their mental wellbeing. We provide access to healthy choices, as well as providing positive support for other co-morbidities they have.

We are immensely proud of the positive impact this program has had on the lives of our residents.

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About us

RSL Care SA believes that the ex-service community deserves the best care and affordable accommodation. RSL Care SA is an independently constituted not for profit organisation with links to the Returned & Services League of Australia (SA Branch).

Our mission is to support veterans and their dependents, although the ex-service community are our primary client group it is not exclusively so. The facilities and services are also available to the broader community.